Inflight performance and calibration of the NuSTAR CdZnTe pixel detectors
Abstract
The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) satellite is a NASA Small Explorer mission designed to operate the first focusing high-energy X-ray (3-79 keV) telescope in orbit. Since the launch in June 2012, all the NuSTAR components have been working normally. The focal plane module is equipped with an 155Eu radioactive source to irradiate the CdZnTe pixel detectors for independent calibration separately from optics. The inflight spectral calibration of the CdZnTe detectors is performed with the onboard 155Eu source. The derived detector performance agrees well with ground-measured data. The in-orbit detector background rate is stable and the lowest among past high-energy X-ray instruments.
- Publication:
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Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
- Pub Date:
- July 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1117/12.2057342
- Bibcode:
- 2014SPIE.9144E..1RK